Pam Anderson: DWTS Will Keep Me Out of Trouble

Baywatch bombshell Pamela Anderson won't be running on the beach for her next TV project: She'll be sashaying across a stage. Anderson has joined ABC's Dancing with the Stars, and she's loving every minute of it.

"I'm having the best time," the star, 42, tells PEOPLE. "This will keep me out of trouble."

Anderson says doing the show, which partners professional ballroom dancers with celebrities, has been invigorating to say the least. "It's stimulating mentally, physically and emotionally," she tells PEOPLE. "It has my focus and I've always wanted to learn how to dance. Maybe I'll get in shape as well."

She says she's doing DWTS for her mother and her 85-year-old great-aunt Vie, who loves to dance and "has the best legs."

Anderson admits she's been "a little bit shy" about dancing in the past, but is up for the challenge.

"This is a leap of faith," she says. "I'll learn a life skill. I'm a romantic. I'm putting my heart into this."

As for how the long rehearsals fit into her life as a mom, she tweeted Tuesday: "This is a great time for me to do this. I rehearse while boys are in school...love it."